EAST Malaysians are very protective of their turfs when it concerns their lifestyle. Anyway, who would not since Sarawakians have existed in peace and harmony for centuries and they have always respected each other.
Therefore, it is not surprising that in a family of Dayaks, for example, there would be Christians and Muslims with members of both faiths uniting as a family during festive seasons.
Religious extremism is kept at bay in multiracial Sarawak. In coffee shops, it is not uncommon to see Muslims and non-Muslims sitting together for a cup of coffee together.
For this reason, Sarawak Governor Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud when he was Sarawak’s Chief Minister had resisted UMNO which was planning to enter its grounds.
The battle ended up with Taib facing possible corruption charges by the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) until the episode ended up with a truce; thereafter, there was silence and Taib accepted the Governor post instead of picking up the hatchet.
Meanwhile, PAS would unlikely to find Sarawakians receptive of its version of Islam when its president Tan Sri Hadi Awang had at one point described Sarawakians as still wearing loin cloths.
In a media ss statement released by the Dayak National Congress, its president Paul Raja said observing the latest development between Hadi and former two-time premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had irked him, especially given the duo are “on rampage again in an apparent strategy for the upcoming election in six Malayan States”.
It cannot be helped that East Malaysians are equally concerned about the political development at the national level as everyone is looking expectantly for the unity government to revive the country’s economy.
“Is sacrificing Malaysia worth just to win an election?” he asked, referring to the upcoming state elections. “These two persons don’t seems to give a hoot even if it leads Malaysia down the road of destruction as long as they win.”
Paul was referring to an article where Hadi was bashing the non-Muslim and non-Malay community in his bogeyman election campaign plan.
When Dr Mahathir in a video which went viral had allegedly insinuated on the Malay Rulers, Paul said that “hounding a section of the Malaysian society affects not just the Chinese nor the Rulers but the entire population of Malaysia, including Dayaks from Sabah and Sarawak as well as the Malays and Indians.”
He reminded politicians that their action has wide ramifications on all strata of society. “This is because any social disturbance will interrupt the harmony of the entire nation,” he reiterated.
“Don’t forget our Sarawak Rangers from across the sea had always been there when there was unrest just to keep the peace of the nation. So, no one is spared when an unrest occurs!”
His two-cent advice to every citizen in both West and East Malaysia is summed up in these words. “It’s the concerted effort of every citizen that keeps a nation at peace.” – May 18, 2023
